Had an OK sleep (80). It would have been better, but I had to get up at 1:30 am to use the bathroom. I’m groggy this morning with a slight headache, so I bestirred myself to the kitchen to take Tylenol along with my regular doses of Juven and Metamucil. The weather outside has taken turn towards Fall; it’s overcast and the low this morning was 59°F (14°C). I see the fruit on the Sargent cherry outside the laundry room is turning orange. Maureen is working outside on the pool. She drained it over the weekend and dismantled the hoses and fittings yesterday. This stage of putting the pool away is really a two-person job, and I wish we had a useful neighbor around who would help, but Curtis and Lori are still up in Maine and there’s really no one else. After my cancer treatment has ended and my  leg is fully healed, I’m afraid we’re going to have to talk about moving. It’s a lot to maintain the house; it’s almost too much for two people, let alone one!

I had the best sleep for several days (83). I felt much better today but the cumbersome leg brace significantly impacts my mobility, and I think that it’s mostly to blame for the leg pain I experience. But still, only one week to go before our next appointment with SLC when he has said it can be removed; it remains to be seen what takes its place. My blood pressure also remains under control; it was 135/75 in the morning and lower later in the day when Caleb, the OT, stopped by to check in on me. While he was here, we went over the upper body exercises that Spaulding had sent me home with, and he pointed out which muscle groups they exercise and how to get the most out of them, He also showed me a couple of variations. I do these exercises every other day in the wheelchair, alternating them with lower body exercises, which I do on the bed.
In the morning, I made it upstairs to take a much-needed shower. I think the last one was a week ago on Monday, so I suspect I was pretty ripe! Mt appetite has improved as well; I’m hoping I don’t regress after this. I also called BCBS about the denial for ctDNA testing. I looked over the Medicare criteria, and I get why they denied it, but naturally I’m pissed that SLC sprang it on us without checking first that they’d cover it. I messaged them and gently suggested that they get their insurance specialists on it, to see if they can submit the appropriate justification so that it gets approved; we’ll see, otherwise we’re going to be stuck paying for it out of pocket and I don’t know how much it’ll be. It’s not essential for my recovery, so probably I’ll need to tell them to stop it and see if MGH will offer the test I did have at a reduced rate.

Ramping down on the drugs. For the next two weeks it’s all about building my strength up again before it all starts over. I was hoping for a good night’s sleep again, but it was not to be. Blood pressure was still high when I got up, but it seemed to have gotten back into the normal range by midday. Eating well, but cautiously.

Best day so far since start of chemo and had a solid night’s sleep (85). Maureen made scrambled eggs on toast, using the free-range eggs that Martha and Charles had brought by earlier – delicious! Finished reading “Why Nobody Understands Quantum Physics” suggested to me by Lech Zwierzynski by way of Bill Evans. The title comes from a quote by Richard Feynman at a 1964 lecture at Cornell “I think I can safely say that no one understands quantum mechanics” And although we now know more, there’s still more to discover. I wrote up some notes in my journal, but I’m not sure if I can write a review of a book that I barely understood.

I did the set of bed exercises and rested for an hour with the legs elevated to reduce swelling. I’ve given up listening to Mahler – too sugary and aimless for me. I’ve switched to Sibelius.

Marginally better night’s sleep (63) and felt better in the afternoon. Cathy, the nurse stopped by and we repeated the vitals. Blood pressure seems to be dropping a bit, but it’s still high in the 140s. Was able to eat some food, but not much. I took a nap in the recliner in the afternoon, and my right leg is hurting. Apparently, this is a side effect of the rescue shot. I need to get up every hour and walk a few steps, and this seems to help.